We be kitties 3 (four, actually)
by catsvrsdogscatswin
Summary: Dina, Rāta, Subaha, and Śāma have one thing in common. They're all cats. Or are they? Human to hybrid to feline and back again, werecat would usually be the thing that springs to mind. But these ladies don't change at the full moon. In the city of London, filled with many and mysterious crimes, will curiosity kill the cats? Or will certain nobles and their butlers save the day?
1. Chapter 1

_**Yeah yeah, I'm doing a Black Butler fanfic. It was a request after all, and I fulfill my requests. For those of you who are new to my authorness, I am catsvrsdogscatswin. As can be seen from my author name, I like cats. I love cats. I have liked them over dogs ever since I was born, and no, not just because Sebastian does. Personally? I like Undertaker over all the other BB characters. Yes, even Grell. I can't stand Grell. (No, not because he is homosexual or whatever it is, because he is made up of so much fail I cannot stand him disgracing the name Grim Reaper like he does. If you have seen Soul Eater or (I don't know if Walter counts, but he is kinda cool after the transformation) Hellsing Ultimate/OVA Shinigamis (Reapers) are freaking cool! And Grell is just…Grell!) Anyway, on from that, this fanfic is more of an exercise to sharpen my writing skills while I muse on what to do next, another Soul Eater or Hellsing, or what. It shall not be romance, because my sister (who has pressured me to do romance on all the other fanfics) does not have enough knowledge of this anime to bug me into doing an OC relationship with the most beloved character. (Which is usually Sebastian, Ciel, or Grell. Thank god. *sigh heavily* I don't have to do THAT bit of unpleasantness.) But on to the main thing, I write one chapter per week because I have high school and homework, I have never abandoned a story mid-plot or until it's finished as of yet, and have thousands of readers for my previous long fanfics. In this story you can expect humor, plot twists (I love making you people squirm with impatience and confusion), interesting characters, and just something that'll really be worth reading. Trust me on this. ;) I never tell I lie, unless it's in my best interest.**_

"Really? REALLY?! You should know what this means by now."

_This is thoughts or mental communication._

'_This is communication between the Dina and her cats.'_

_Rāta's POV:_

Snow fell softly over the feathery black darkness that welled up within London's inky streets. I sat on the cold, icy roof, ears pricked forward as I heard something strange. Panting. A man ran below me, looking behind him frequently, and I melted into the shadow of the chimney I was sitting by. He held a gun in one hand. The other was clenched tightly around something precious, something he shouldn't have. Three men ran behind him, looking angry. "_Run faster damnit! We can't let him get away! Does Tim even know how hard we worked to steal that thing, let's go get it back!_" A faint, tinny voice called out, the leader's voice floating up to my twitching ears. I sighed softly, flitting from rooftop to rooftop, my dark, nearly black emerald eyes tracing the scene, alive with curiosity. The man stopped on the bridge, looking down at his hand as it opened.

A golden ring, with a beautiful blue stone set in the center, elegant and shapely, but strange somehow, tainted. There was an air of danger about it, the air of something deadly, and I shrank back into the shadows. The man let out a breathless chuckle, caught up in the beauty of his treasure. "No one else will have it! This is my ring now!" he whispered, but blinked when he heard a voice. "No, I don't think so." He gasped and his eyes flicked to the air next to him. "You do not deserve that ring." There was a series of lazy little gleams, and the man tensed, shaking with the urge to move, run or attack it didn't matter. He was caught, like a fly in a spider's web.

I looked to his wrist, the one that held the gun, and saw wires wrapped around it, and blood welled up, dripping to the ground. "The Hope piece is in search of a worthy master you see. You do not fit that description." A figure in the shadow of the street lamp said softly, without emotion, and jerked his hand. Wires flashed, and a scream echoed on the Thames as blood welled up and dripped to the snow, white mixing and melting under the hot red. The body was thrown over the bridge, and impacted the ice, plunging deep, killing him beyond a shadow of a doubt as I flitted away, glad to have remained unseen.

_Dina's POV:_

"Try out the _Cītā_ goods, fine carvings from around the world!" I called out, glad to be bundled up on this frigid day. "My lady please, slow down a bit." A panicked maidservant squealed, chasing after a tiny blonde girl in a frilly pink dress. "Careful. You're going to crack the ice if you keep stomping about like that." She said pertly, and as one might expect, the maid panicked even further. "AH!" she squeaked, picking up her skirts and dancing nervously on the slippery surface as her mistress giggled. "Please understand my lady, if your parents learned that we took a detour they'll be terribly angry, I'll be in a lot of trouble." The noblewoman humphed. "But Harrods's and Liberty were utterly useless, they had nothing to offer." She said primly, turning to face her maid. She jumped once, making the maid squeal again. "I was joking, it won't crack." She soothed, and her maid relaxed a little.

"Excuse me my lady, but there seems to be something specific you've been searching for, might I ask what?" the girl flushed slightly and turned away. "Something special. I need a present for Ciel, it's almost his birthday. A perfect present, one that'll make him happy!" she said, holding her hands to her mouth. She shook her head and turned to her maid. "I mean very _**very**_happy!" she said stubbornly, and the maid beamed. "Oh Lady Elizabeth that-that is absolutely adorable!" She kneeled, grabbing her mistress's hands. "I understand now, you have my word. I pledge to help you in whatever way I can in this endeavor." She said firmly, and the girl beamed. "Thanks Paula, how sweet!" she said happily, and I coughed slightly, getting their attention. "I couldn't help but overhear, madam, lady. Would you like to perhaps give our wares a try? I don't mind, just take a look if that's alright." I said charmingly, beaming at them as the little girl became interested and walked over. "What's with all the funny carvings?" she asked, poking one curiously.

"My family specializes in cats statuettes. It's been a family tradition since my grandma's-grandma's- grandma's-grandma's-grandma. They bring luck and joy to a home, or more, depending on the carving." I said rapidly, bowing with one hand over my heart. She nodded, browsing with interest as her maid trailed behind. "This one looks-oh!" She squeaked as Rāta jumped up on the table, rubbing against her hand as she reached for a statuette, purring loudly. "Apologies lady. That carving is one of Rāta's favorites, and she's such a friendly cat anyway." I said, hanging my head a little as Rāta continued to purr and nuzzle the noble child's hand. "Oh she's so _cute_!" the girl squealed, snatching the poor cat up and hugging her tight as Rāta frantically clawed for air, eyes bulging. "My lady please stop!" her maid shouted, and she relaxed her hold on Rāta, letting her sag in the human's arms and gasp in oxygen. "Rāta, leave the customers alone." I scolded her, and she gave me an affronted look, as if to say "_She's the one who should leave__** me**__ alone!_"

I favored her with another glare and she huffed, slinking under the table to huddle by the brazier with Subaha and Śāma who gave her sympathetic mewls. I sighed as she gave me a glare from her dark eyes, pointedly looking towards the girl, who was already zapping through the other booths rapidly. "Oh hush you." I told her, picking up what the chatty girl and her maid had knocked over. "You do as much damage. Watch the stall for me; I'm going to go get a pick-me-up. This frigid air is making me turn into a carving myself." I told her, stepping out and pulling the hood of my cloak over my golden brown hair. My sky-blue eyes raked the other booths, not really caring what they sold or who bought them, but just watching. I grinned, finally coming to the sign I was looking for. "_Undertaker_"

"Hello hello, it's me, Dina!" I said cheerfully, opening the door as he grinned and looked up from the coffin he was currently preparing. "Oh, 'ello my dear. It's been a while since I've seen you here." He said, looking up in amusement and straightening, moving forward to shake my hand. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, and I chuckled, shaking his cold, sharp-nailed hand firmly. "The usual Undertaker. Rāta and the others are driving me in circles and I can't take it anymore." I said, shrugging the hood down and accepting the tea in the beaker he gave me. "Well, I can't offer you any entertainment, or at least the kind you've become accustomed to. What is one of your ilk doing in something so strange as a crafts' fair?"he said, sitting down on the coffin opposite me. I chuckled, sipping at my tea slowly. "I could say the same for you." I countered, and he leered, white teeth flashing in the gloom. "You make a fair point. And you aren't going to tell me what you're doing here, are you?"

I gave him a mocking look. "Tell my information to an information broker? Are you insane?" I asked him, and slow grins broke across both our faces. "I would be careful if I were you. Who knows when the doings of your past will catch up to you, even if it is just some hopeless inspector." He warned me, and there was a moment of silence. Suddenly we were interrupted by an auburn-haired man falling through Undertaker's fake door with a yelp. He straightened as I flicked my hood up again, caution prevailing. I blinked as he began talking, shaking my head to clear the biting cold from it and hear what he was saying in case I was in trouble, and Undertaker cracked up, collapsing on the coffin he had been sitting on and shaking the sign from his door. He twitched a few times as the man stared and I rolled my eyes, watching as a boy, a man, and a Chinese man came in, all staring at Undertaker and the other man. "I assure you man, you're on a roll profession, that was hysterical. You could be a world-renowned comedian." He said weakly, getting up and jabbing a black-painted nail at the bewildered man.

"What did you _say_ to him?" the boy asked, looking confused. "I have no idea. I was just talking to him normally. He began laughing like a madman." He said, pointing to Undertaker in silent confusion. "Undertaker _is_ a madman." I said clearly, standing and bowing slightly as they directed their attention to me. "I thought you said this man didn't have any relatives." The Chinese man said, peering around the tall man in a black coat, whose eyes burned into mine. "She ain't a relative. Earl Phantomhive, this is Dina Cītā, an old acquaintance of mine. Dina, this is the Earl of Phantomhive, his butler, Lau, and some copper." He said, pointing to the boy, the tall man, the Chinese one, and the one who had gotten him to laugh in turn. I gave them a feral smile. "Pleased I'm sure." The butler said coldly, and I glared at him. Something was off about his…self. The child looked up at me with annoyance, and I glared down at him as well. He had an eyepatch, but as far as I could tell there was no wound. My gaze traveled slowly up to the butler, who gave me a mirthless smirk._ Ah. A demon then._

"Well, I better_- Rāta_!" The black-furred feline dodged human feet and legs, hurling herself into my legs and clawing up to my shoulder, mewling frantically. The demon's eyes widened, and the kid scowled at the interruption. "Well, see you later then Undertaker. I dare say you know where to find me." I said cheerfully, giving him a sarcastic salute and walking out into the frigid cold. "Alright then you nut, what's with the shrieking?" I asked her irritably, and she hissed. '_Shut up! I found something! Remember that murder I witnessed last night? I found the ring! I found the Hope Piece!'_ she squalled, and I set her down, letting her lead me to a statue of the Queen, who had a blue-gemmed ring on her finger. "Good work Rāta. Maybe you aren't such a burden after all." I told her, stroking her head as she wound around my legs and purred. "Here it is." The Undertaker said behind me, and I turned to see him pointing to the ring as the inspector gasped and Lau nodded. "Ah, it appears a sculptor must've happened upon the ring and then designed a beautiful ice sculpture to complement it, our mystery has been solved." He said, and the inspector gestured to his men. "Collect the ring, right now!"

They ran forward, but before they could take it a pompous voice interrupted. "What do you think you're doing, thieves?" They turned, and I saw a fat man with a large silver beard glaring at them, along with some others. "That dear lady will be awarded to the contest's victor. You wouldn't want to defile her now would you?" a man asked, kissing a white rose that he held in his hand and wagging a finger at us. The kid shuddered violently, and Rāta hissed. "Viscount Lord Druitt!" he stammered. "They're holding some contest. Why is _he_ a judge?" he added in a murmur, and Lau nodded. "Yes, wasn't he just arrested for human trafficking ? What naughty man…" he agreed, and the inspector narrowed his eyes. "He was released a few days ago."

The kid snorted. "Must've paid well." The inspector approached the judges, ignoring that comment. "Excuse me, but this statue's now under the charge of Scotland Yard." He said briskly, and Beardy shook his head. "Oh no! I don't care if you are from Scotland Yard sir, the Frost Fair's an event for our citizens, I will not let you disrupt it!" The man in white, the…Viscount, wasn't it? Yes, Viscount twirled over to the statue. "Just look at her beauty, such an exquisitely noble lady! We could never allow her to be violated by anybody." He said, hugging himself as the kid gritted his teeth. "You're one to talk." He muttered under his breath, and I chuckled, along with Rāta. "If you insist on possessing this lady, you should offer something of equal beauty." The Viscount said calmly, and Beardy nodded. "A well-spoken pronouncement from a true lover of art and beauty. As he says, if you want this statue, win this contest!" he barked, pointing to the inspector as he blanched.

"There's merit to your argument. The ring belongs to whomever is the winner of the contest. Nice and simple." The Phantomhive said smugly, and the others turned to him. "Really Ciel?" the inspector asked, and Ciel, as he was so named, looked up at him. "Don't worry inspector, I'll get the ring." He said calmly, and the man gaped. "But its stolen property! Not to mention the fact that it's our key evidence in serial kidnappings of young girls-" His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth as Rāta and I perked up, interested. _'I think we have a new job…'_ she sang excitedly, grinning. "I see. That's why the Yard are so frantic to find it." Ciel said smugly, and the man blinked. "The legend is true! Every person who has owned the ring has met a horrible end! It's a cursed stone and you'd still try to win it?!" he asked, in shock, and Ciel lifted his head. "Cursed eh? Then it sounds like the perfect ring for me." He said, lifting his hand as I saw a flash of blue from his ring.

"Come to think of it, isn't that a family ring you wear set with a pretty blue stone as well lord?" Undertaker asked, and Ciel nodded. "Yes." Undertaker smirked. "Perhaps you should be careful. Diamonds are quite hard. But because they're hard, they're also…_brittle._ If you go too far, you may be shattered as well…" he warned in an ominous tone, and I faded into the background, slipping away through the tents and coming back to our own stall. I put Rāta down, petting her hair a few times and then pausing. "It's settled then. Go fill out an entry form." An Irish–accented voice said calmly from behind us, and I closed my eyes, feeling for a knife. "Seriously?!" another voice said, and the first man snorted. "Are you an Irishman or aren't you?! We know more than the bloody English about ice and snow!" The second man and what sounded like another gasped. "And if all else should fail…" the man trailed off, and I narrowed my eyes. I waited a full minute before sheathing the blade. '_Rāta, I'm going hunting for a rat. Keep the mice away?'_ She looked up at me, and white teeth flashed in the weak winter sun. _'While the cat's away, the rats will play. When the cat is home…'_ We both chuckled. '_To Death they roam.'_

_**Ooh, dun dun dadum. Sorry, I do love cliffies. The next chapter'll probably be up tomorrow, since I used to do day by day updates and I'll most likely have it finished before I start to publish the actual story, but maybe not, because I just might not. I know I started a bit into it, but the Ice Festival episode was my favorite, I just really wanted to. Well, Review, Request, Rcomment. Auf Wedersien! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Wow…that was fast. Thank you alexma and squishypeanut12 for your reviews, and yes of course I'll update. I just did, didn't I? Now, I won't be so quick on the dot after this because I only have one other pre-written chapter and I'm not done with it yet. Plus I still do have to work on my Soul eater. *shame cloud* My cat is going nuts. I just thought I'd let you all know. She's like wailing and mewling and running in circles and weird crap like that. There isn't a storm, and nobody gave her catnip to get her high…probably ghosts then. Whatever. Enjoy the next chapter!**_

_Dina's POV:_

I hummed to myself, gently stroking my fingers across Rāta's fur as Subaha and Śāma curled up on my feet, warming my toes from the frigid bite of the ice under them. Knife handles were flat against every plane my body provided, arms and back and legs and stomach. "And now folks, the judging shall commence!" an announcer said with a flourish, and I narrowed my eyes, seeing the Phantomhive kid's butler, the man called Lau, and a few of the Scotland yarders up on the stage. That left the three panting men with chisels the ones who were talking crime by our tent. _'And they're the ones Rāta saw that night with the murder.'_ Śāma observed from my left toe, busily licking her paw and washing her ear. _'Tough-looking, aren't they?'_ Subaha added sympathetically, butting her head against my calve, avoiding the knives. "First up, we have Scotland Yard and Its Merry Men, with their sculpture, Guardian of London." He gestured to a statue of the man I recognized as Arthur Randall, the commissioner.

The idiots were saluting the statue, and me, Subaha , Rāta, and Śāma indulged in mocking and merry laughter. The Viscount shook his head sadly. "Judges scores! One, two, one, one, zero-" The announcer said cheerily as the head of the statue fell off, much to the Yarders' dismay. "-for a total of five points." He went on, looking a bit flushed as he named the competitors. "Next team, whose name is All Women's Dresses Should Be Tiny, and their entry…" The sculpture of a highly developed Chinese woman was covered by several men holding banners, both with slight blushes, and it had absolutely nothing on, above or below the waist. I slapped a hand over my forehead as the others snickered. "For obvious reasons, this ice sculpture has been disqualified." The announcer told us, rubbing the back of his head as the cats in my arm and at my feet made rude comments to the creator. "But why?" Lau asked, and Ciel stared daggers at him. "How could you possibly think that was proper to display?!" he snarled, and Subaha, Rāta, and Śāma all yowled agreement as I massaged my temples, feeling a migraine from the overloading of other people's stupidity coming on.

I glanced at the judges, rolling my eyes as I saw all but the Viscount had ruled X, but the creep had a ten and he was grinning wildly. "Win this. You can right?" Ciel asked his butler, and he gave him a mild look. "Of course I can. You explicitly order me to do so, and I exist only to fulfill your orders my lord." He said quietly, and my friends all made quiet comments and musings on a demon's normal lack of work ethic as I kept my eyes on the stage. "And next, from the team known as Queen's Puppy, we have the Arc of Noah!" the announcer said, and the curtain to the side of the stage dropped with a flourish to show a life-sized boat. Collective gasps were heard, and the Viscount nearly sprang from his seat. "What a sculpture! I've never seen its like! That is art in its highest form!" the bearded judge said, and the announcer spread his arms. "An amazing piece! Let's see the total scores-"

"One moment." The butler interrupted him calmly, and all eyes turned to him. "My apologies, but you haven't seen all of the sculpture yet." He turned towards the boat and snapped his fingers once. The edges of the hut at the top split, and the whole thing cracked to show a twisting, writhing sculpture of animals as even more gasps were heard. '_Not bad.'_ Subaha, Rāta, and Śāma all said in unison, and I nodded quietly. "Brilliant! He deliberately made the seam of the roof weak so it would melt and fall apart in time!" Beardy shouted, and the Viscount nearly swooned. "Our ancestor, the brave man who stood fearlessly against the flood of God's wrath, Noah! He is depicted here with the pairs of animals he was ordered to rescue, awaiting rebirth from the sea!" he shrieked, hugging himself and twirling as we all snorted.

"Astounding work young man! Its high art, I declare you an ice sculptor of the highest caliber!" Beardy shouted, and the butler turned with a soft smirk. "No sir. You are too kind. I am simply one hell of a butler." He said, closing his eyes with a smile. "So uh, I don't think we're going to beat that." The Irishman said, and the cats around me tensed as I heard the reply. '_See you at the shop Dina!' _Śāma mewled, getting up from my foot and leading the retreat with Subaha and Rāta. I quickly belted up my dress, showing leggings with knives strapped here there and everywhere they could fit and ripping off my coat, showing bare arms with more knives. "Is everyone ready for the final scores-" the announcer started, but the leader of the Irishmen stopped him. "Hold it right there!"

Everyone looked to see him standing beside the sculpture of the Queen with a gun in hand. "Hate to break up the party, but this ring is ours!" he continued. "We're taking what belongs to us!" The inspector from before started. "Hold on! That means that you're the-" he started, and the man finished. "That's right. We're the team of thieves all of London's been talking about. Maybe you'd recognize these?" he asked, pulling his jacket aside to reveal dynamite sticks. The men behind him kicked a barrel down, revealing more of the cursed things. I started my breathing exercises, flexing my hands. This was going to be messy. "You have ten seconds. Anyone who doesn't want to die should get the hell out of here. Ten-" He said, flicking his lighter as everyone began panicking. "Master?" the butler asked, but Ciel did not even blink. "My orders remain the same. Do it now Sebastian." He said firmly, and his butler bowed with a smirk. "Indeed young master."

_Sebastian's POV:_

"What are you doing? Hurry up miss, you need to get out of here!" Aberline shouted, and my eyes flicked to the side, seeing that young human. Possible human. She was definitely one to be watched, that much was certain. "Move copper." She snapped, unsheathing blades that I now noticed were strapped all along her arms and legs. Hilt marks against the fabric of her shirt indicated more hidden weapons. He gulped, backing away as his eyes lighted on my master. "Ciel! Get out!" he shouted, and my master snorted silently. "You can go if you want to, don't worry. I'll be fine." He said calmly, and the inspector turned. "I can't leave you here! I joined Scotland Yard to protect our citizens, that includes noblemen like you Ciel!" he said, starting forward, but the female stopped him with a hand, just as a bullet slammed into the ice an inch from his foot. "Stay back inspector. And you too lass." He said, pointing the gun to the woman, who merely gave an icy smirk, walking over to my master and planting her feet solidly beside him, pointedly defying the gunman.

"You only have three seconds left. A sweet little boy and girl like you, shouldn't you be running away?" he asked, and my master smirked as I came even. "I see no need for that. Look behind you." He said calmly, and I launched myself over him, kicking the gun from his hands. "What the-" His accomplices drew guns of their own, and I turned to deal with them, however, the woman streaked by me, sliding under one's feet and knocking him down before rolling and coming to her own. I leaped and spun in the air, hearing the human judges gasp.

"Impossible! He spun four whole times in the air!"

"A noble swan, flying through a world of silvery white snow! Lured by that devilish smile the maiden is enfolded in his midnight black wings!"

I heard my master shudder and a tiny smirk touched my lips as I swept by, knocking the other man down. "Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! Ten! That's it, a perfect score!" the announcer cheered as the woman once again skated past, using no human contraptions as I did, but her own natural grace and precision. "Damn you, little brat I'm going to blow you away!" the Irishman shouted, lighting and throwing his dynamite, and I immediately turned, the contract calling me, but before I could scoop him up that woman was there, catching him up in her bared arms and streaking away. With a wicked smirk in my direction, as if she knew my duty to keep him safe, she tossed my master through the air, jumping herself to catch him and swirl into a turn, scraped ice showered up to coat the air in a seemingly magical shimmer.

"Incredible! Such form! And all without her own skates!"

"The tragic maid, drowned in the magic of her own eve and trapped beneath the ice, surfaces once more to play with her mortal visitors and bestow upon them her graceful dance of passionate love!"

A disgusted look came over my master's face, and he irritably punched the woman in the arm. "Let me go!" he hissed and she swirled, suddenly jumping as the impatient man threw another dynamite and tossing him to me with a sarcastic salute only I saw as I caught him and spun into a turn of my own, a bit annoyed at her showing off. "Again?! I hate those two!" the Irishman snarled, grabbing and lighting another stick. The girl was suddenly there, playfully shoving him and making him miss by a little as I quickly dodged, beside me in another second, skating grimly with her eyes focused on the ice. "Well played madam." I murmured, and she gave me a feral grin and a soundless laugh.

"And the teamwork! Like two mirror images!"

"The noble lady of the sea and the gallant swam who skims her brink, locked together in an endless dance of forbidden love as their child is tossed from tempest to wings in his parent's battle of passion!"

Her lip curled as I silently wished to rain death on his head, and she swerved away as I saw the ice crack and fragment under the man, who had been weakening it in his attacks, heading for the statue and the ring. "Sebastian!" my master shouted, and I spun, throwing him up in the air. The ice collapsed, and a haze of chips and dust flew up as the statue and the men sunk into the water. I didn't see the woman as gasps and then watchful silence reigned around us. "Where is he?" Aberline asked, and Lau chuckled. "My lord is stubborn as ever." I caught my master and set him down on the ship I had created, floating through the mist towards them, not a hair out of place. "The ship sails on! Leaving human despair behind! The ship sails on! Carrying the future of the world, the ship sails on! Despite the raging flood of icy waters seeking to drown it! The ship sails on!" the Viscount said merrily, and the bearded man merely gaped. "It's the Ark! Truly a recreation of Noah's Ark! We've seen a miracle on the Thames!" he cried, starting to weep, but then all chatter stopped.

The woman was not on our tiny vessel. Gasps and murmurs spread as the crowd searched the ice with their eyes, seeing no bodies except the three Irishmen as they were hauled out of the water. "What the water gave us, it has taken away. The gentle maiden of yellow and brown shall sleep once more in her bed of mud and waterlilies, awaiting the next fair child to await her charming smile and fierce protection. May all grieve and praise the Frost Fair's queen, and eagerly await her next visit upon us." The Viscount murmured, and the bearded man bowed his head. "Geeeeeeeeee-hai!" a voice called to us from across the river, and I turned slightly, seeing the woman grinning at us, waist deep in the icy liquid, waving broadly.

There were more gasps, and she bowed her head, sinking to her knees as the Viscount swooned dramatically. "Ooh, dost mine eyes deceive? Fair lady Frost is once again whole and unblemished!" he wailed, and she hid a smirk from the humans before immersing herself fully, and I saw a shadowy shape dart underwater for the safety of the bridge. "Was tossing me about like that _really_ necessary?" my master asked, and I smirked slightly, giving a bow. "My apologies sir. But we did have an audience after all; I thought it might add a bit of flair to the show. Besides, I think our female friend did far more tossing about than I did." I said, and he scowled, pointedly looking away. "Hmm. And you didn't want her upstaging you. Do you suppose she managed to recover the ring, or do you think it'll sleep safely at the bottom of the Thames? Not a bad end if it does." He said softly, and I shrugged.

"But wouldn't it curse all of London then?" I asked, merely for politeness's sake. "Somehow I doubt that'll happen. Besides, if a ring was meant to destroy the city it wasn't meant to survive. After all, we Phantomhives have lived on." He said, and we watched the inspector fish out his criminals. "Tell me something. Earlier, you had accused Noah of being arrogant. But he was only trying to save a few. Wouldn't the desire to protect everyone be even more arrogant?" he asked, and I inclined my head. "Yes, it would seem so." I answered, and he smirked. "Well, an arrogant fool like that every now and then might not be so bad." He muttered, and we watched him in thoughtful silence as the ship sailed on.

_Dina's POV:_

"Gee-hai!" I said cheerily, tugging my hood back and grinning at Subaha, Rāta, and Śāma as they sat on the counter. It was a little before sunset, so I had furry, pointed ears and a long, twining tail, and Śāma was almost human, having the same soft, fuzzy cat ears, only in a lighter shade of gold than my own tawny fur. "Gee-hai Dina." she said calmly, stretching herself and hopping off the counter to give me room when I fully shifted. Rāta grinned at me, at the same stage as it was almost night as well, her black ears and tail twitching madly as she shifted a little on the counter, wanting to go out and patrol like she did nightly. Subaha was the only one not in a semi-human form, sleeping soundly by our cashbox, brown tabby fur stirred softly each time one of us moved. I felt the sun set and mewled, shrinking down onto my front paws as my clothes melted and blurred, becoming a warm, tawny brown cat, my hazy blue eyes blinking indignantly up at Subaha as she turned over, jumping up to the counter and curling up by the brazier.

"I don't suppose you got the ring for us to bag?" Rāta asked cheekily, and I opened one eye, giving her the disdainful glare I'd only ever seen a cat manage. It snarled "_What do you expect from me, miracles? I got home dry didn't I? Frumpy grouser._" She laughed, and Śāma chuckled. "I'll take that as a no then. Oh well, we didn't need it anyway, did we?" she asked, and I shook my head before rolling over and closing my eyes, going back to sleep.

_3__rd__ Person POV:_

A dark, shadowy room. One figure stood by the doors, thin, stiff. Another sat in a throne-like chair, silent, indistinct in the gloom. "So I thought to myself, why not let the Hope Diamond find a new owner on its own? Eh, mas-ter?" he asked with a clicking, creaky bow. The figure in the chair merely hummed, something eerily like "_London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down, London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady…_" A woman, unseen by both master and servant, sat on the centimeter-wide sill of the window, dark, nearly black emerald eyes glinting with unseen purpose.

_**Have you all figured it all now? Yes/no/maybe so? I don't really care one way or the other. You all will eventually, that's all that really matters. So…yeah. Oh, self-endorsement, for those of you who like amusing things and zombie apocalypses/free-for-alls, please volunteer for the Zombie May and Jay, it's really good. Or just read it, I don't really care one way or the other. In fact, if you know Soul Eater/Hellsing, read all the May and Jays. They're cracky, insane little one-shots me and my little sister do to amuse ourselves. And as far as I know, people really like them. Anyway…yeah. Be nice readers and give me a review please. Review Request Rcomment, to be exact. Auf Wedersien!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hi guys! Welcome from my Soul Eater (and for flamelalchemist103 Hellsing as well) stories! I feel so happy people still like me! Since this is the first serious, non-romance (forced romance admittedly) fanfic I'm doing, I hope you guys all like it. I'm a little nervous…I'm so used to making the OCs like the non-OCs! But hey, anti-romance is my style, I can do this. *cracks neck* Whew. Hehe, you know I gotta wait until the weekend to update my Soul Eater, flamelalchemist103. *Smug grin* And I want to watch you people squirm, like a mean kid on an anthill frying your antenna's off with a magnifying glass. I might be merciful and update before then, but I might not.**_

_**PS: ****Sorry, sorry! I accidentally clicked the wrong file when I created the new chapter, that's a fanfic a friend of mine wrote (Alucardxoc, the fangirl)  
and asked me to publish since she's extremely shy and can't even face the anonymous masses of Fanfiction. This is the REAL chapter.**_

_**Dina's POV:**_

_'So then, Earl of Phantomhive has one of the cursed stones, and this man and his master had the other, but somehow distributed it to someone else.'_ I said, tapping a paw on the incredibly detailed map of London Rāta had helped us make up. "Yeah. And it was definitely one heck of a scramble to make sure they didn't catch me at it." she added lazily, stretching as I rolled my eyes. Suddenly all of our heads, human and cat, whipped up. The quarry was near. _'Let's go have a look at who found themselves a cursed gem.'_ I said, leaping off the counter as Rāta and Śāma donned hooded cloaks to cover the cat ears that were beginning to form once more, now that it was getting on to morning. I raced after Subaha as we heard some strange music. _The London Bridge song? And it smells like that strange man Rāta saw talking about the Hope Piece? I don't like this…_

I saw a carriage door open, and that tiny noble walk out, as if in a trance. _'We found her! We'll lay a trail but keep to the shadows!' _Subaha mind-yelped, her paws softly thudding on the ground behind me as I took the lead, my blue eyes flashing in the dark. I hissed to myself, hearing human footsteps behind us, then Rāta and Śāma came even, their own eyes grimly focused on the pink-gowned figure fleeing us. She finally stopped, and the human-formed quickly faded into the darkness as Subaha and I silently approached, keeping away from anything that might reveal us. The girl peered down at a doll, and I sneezed softly as my brethren did the same. There was something here, and it had a bad stink to it. Corruption and stagnation, entrapment and synthetic things that felt forced and _**wrong**_. She opened the door, and Subaha jumped silently up to the storefront window as I indulged in a few mental curses and followed, our human companions staying in the shadows, where they would not be surprised by an attack.

For perhaps the millionth time in my life, I thanked a cat's superior hearing. We did not have to risk ourselves by going into the shop to hear what was going on. "Wel-come little girl." A man said, seated in a high-backed chair with a music box in his lap. I forwarded the sight to Rāta. _'That's the one. He killed the thief and spread the curse.'_ She said instantly, and the fur on my back rose. "Oh, um…" the noble girl murmured, nervous now that whatever strange fit that led her here had passed. "I see that you have the ring." He said neutrally, standing up. His brow furrowed. "Yes, indeed you have it. Unfortunately however, it appears that the stone has not chosen you to be its new master." He said, walking forward. She involuntarily looked down at the ring on her finger, and gasped when he bent down. "But my, look how lovely those eyes are." He said, lightly touching her cheek.

"Um, sorry, but I'm betrothed sir, Ciel is the only man I care for." She said nervously, looking away. "You're eyes are like deep green pools…there's so much sorrow in them." He said, and she looked up, startled. "You can't hide it from me. I can tell you're very sad." He added as tears began to well up in her eyes. I almost had to claw Subaha back from the door, where she would have burst in yowling and sending the man off our target in a flurry of claws, teeth, and maternal rage. We watched in miffed silence as she was sat down to cry, and he sat opposite her. "Oh I understand. A birthday present was it?" he asked after she explained, and she nodded. "Yes! For Ciel! I only wanted to make him happy!" she sobbed, and he held up his hands, finger puppets tipping every lengthy digit as he flexed them a few times. _Like a spider. A manipulating, sneaky, poison-spreading spider._ I thought crossly, kneading my claws into his window frame. "As you can see, we sell many things in the shop. Any one of them would make a wonderful gift." He said softly, and I twitched as his mantel clock rang Five AM.

Without anyone touching it, the organ began to play, the same haunting version of _London Bridge _we had heard earlier. The girl looked up at the clock, and then back down with a slightly pleased smile. Her gaze flitted across the dolls, and the man's own gaze followed her. "Lovely, aren't they? You can have your pick of them." He said calmly, looking back at her. "Please, choose whichever one you would like." She blinked. "Thanks but-" she started, but he interrupted her. "Yes, I understand. You're looking them over, but nothing seems unique enough for him." He said, and then tilted to the side alarmingly, like a puppet cut of his strings. "So then my lady, I think to myself, you must be searching for a very special present for a very special person. " He tilted his hat carefully. "I believe I know just the thing for him." The song suddenly stopped, and he looked back up. "It's perfect. We'll give him you." He said ominuosly, and we vanished into the night, having seen and heard enough.

_Ciel's POV:_

I frowned, my hands tightening on the lining of my pockets. "Why did I have to bring _him_ with me!?" I snarled to myself, and the Hell Hound barked a few times.

"_Take this with you, young master. I think you might find it useful." He held up Pluto._

"_Useful? How so?" That __**thing**__ was good for nothing but ruining the lawn so far._

"_Well sir, if necessary, you can throw it at an attacker and run." That smug, closed-eyes smile; as if he was mocking the very ideals I existed by as he chuckled the words._

I sighed at the memory, gesturing curtly to him. "Well anyway, you're a dog, which means you can track scents can't you?" I asked the mutt, not receiving a response. I rummaged in my breast pocket and took out a red ribbon, kneeling and offering it to him. "Here's the ribbon from Lizzie's gift." He sniffed it, sneezed quietly, then starting scratching himself, dog style. "You stupid little mongrel! Is Sebastian the only one you'll listen to?!" I shouted, and suddenly he bounded forward, almost dragging me off my feet as I wobbled, then recovered to run after him. He howled, stopped as I strained at the leash, panting at the end of his tether as I snarled wordlessly. "Why do you have to start looking for a mate now!?" I grumbled, and heard a familiar voice "Ooh! A man looking for a mate? Perhaps I can help!"

I looked up, to the top of the alley, and Grell was standing there, wind stirring the long strands of red hair and Madam Red's scarlet coat. "I am a hunter of love, and at last my prey is before me. Red is the color of fiery passion, and I am flaming! I gasped slightly, remembering Madam Red's death. _Red…_ I gritted my teeth. "A gorgeous man, right _there!_" he said, pointing to the Hell Hound. "You again!" I hissed, and he made another dramatic pose. "A deadly efficient butler, that's me!" he said, making a sign with his hands and sticking his tongue out. "Though I do find myself masterless at the moment." He said carelessly, flicking his hand in the air as if it mattered very little to him. He jumped, landing on the ground and putting his hands on his hips, pouting. "After the Madam Red incident I was temporarily demoted, and now I only get the lowliest of jobs. That brute Will told me I wouldn't get my old post back until I collected some truly troublesome souls. Rotten sadist!" he grumbled, kicking the ground, then putting a hand to his chin. "Though I must confess, I like rotten fruit every now and then. And those cold, brooding eyes could sure keep me warm enough on a freezing night!" he squealed, closing his eyes and shivering all over as I made a face.

"And who is this wild one? He's a cutie!" he added, looking at Pluto with a playful gleam in his eyes. I scowled deeper. "Oh dear. You aren't considering avenging your beloved Aunt Red are you? I mean that would just be silly." He said cheerfully, and I grimaced. "You shut up!" I snarled, and he smirked, turning his nose up at me. "Now now, be nice, I don't see Bassy anywhere, what could a brat like you do without him?" he asked slyly, and I growled. "Be quiet!" I hissed, and another voice made us mouth look toward the mouth of the alley. "Agreed, Sutcliff, shut your gob." I blinked, seeing a slender figure with a hooded cloak blocking the entrance. It seemed to be female. Her clothes were all faded grey and monotone white, making her almost fade into the dark, misty streets. "Hello there. And just who are you?" Grell asked playfully, and she pulled her cowl back, showing stern features and ash blonde hair with fuzzy cat ears poking out of it. Her eyes were a fierce charcoal grey. "Śāma Tēndu'ā. I've come to help the Earl." She snapped briskly, and I narrowed my eyes.

"I don't need your help. Go away." I said stiffly, and she smirked icily. "I thought you might say that. What if I said I knew exactly where _she_ was?" she asked, and I took a shocked step back. _What?!_ "How on earth could you possibly know that?!" I snapped, too startled to say anything else, and she chuckled, eyes traveling upwards. My own eyes followed, and I gave an involuntary yelp of shock, and Pluto growled. Three cats were lazily pacing on top of the roofs, all huge. A lithe cheetah opened its mouth in a yawn, stretching and kneading its claws on the wooden gutter, shredding it. A sleepy-looking tiger lay on the roof where Sutcliff had been standing, tail flicking absently as its eyes traced my every move. A night-black panther paced on the roof, tail switching as it practically danced with impatience to be off. "Oh my, such fierce fellow ladies of the night!" Grell squealed, twirling in a circle as I swore I saw the cheetah snort.

Pluto suddenly lunged forward, snarling, and Grell blinked. "Oh, is he your "protector" for the evening? Why does this little kid get all the good-looking men?" he muttered, looking away with a pout and Pluto lunged. "Ooh he's going to attack me! How exciting, I'm all yours but please be gentle!" he squealed, opening his arms as Pluto charged right past him, scrabbling at the wall as the cheetah spat and hissed. "Hey, what am I, chopped liver?!" he shouted indignantly, and the cheetah shook its head, staring into Śāma's eyes. "C'mon, the kid's this way." She muttered, brushing past me as her pets all got up, beginning to pad silently away as the Hell Hound raced after them, barking. There were so many twists and turns of the back alleys, I kept wondering whether or not the cats were leading us straight. A drawn out purr sounded ahead, and I saw all three sitting primly in front of a toy shop, looking smug. Then my eyes traveled further. _Lizzie?!_ A doll, so alike to her it could not have been coincidence, sat in pride of place at the window. "Lizzie…"

I was about to run across the street, but Grell's voice stopped me. "Look what we have here! Number four hundred and ninety three on the To-Die list, butler and puppeteer to the house of Mandalay. A Mr. Drossel Keinz." He said, looking up as there was a crash of breaking glass and Pluto's bark. I looked up, running to the shop to see the window shattered, although the cats were still outside. They jumped in through the window as I opened the door, and we all beheld Pluto, chewing on the doll. I knelt, taking the doll. _Lizzie…_ It was so like her. Perfect in every detail, down to that horrid pink dress she always wore. I looked up, seeing an open door as Śāma ghosted past, clothes fluttering in her wake as the cats followed, shrinking and becoming normal house cats. My eyes widened. "It is cumbersome to use the more battle-adept forms at times like these. They will transform once we are in danger." She said calmly, not even turning around.

We walked all the way out of the building, seeing a large expanse of grass and then trees, a large, fanciful castle rising up out of them. _Lizzie's somewhere in that mansion. I know it._ I thought, clenching my fist. "Goodness, not exactly the most welcoming of places is it?" Grell said nonchalantly, walking up beside me. I looked up at him, seeing the dementedly reaper with new eyes. _This is the man who killed Madam Red. But…I need him._ I sighed. "Fine Grell. Come in with me. You too, cat woman." I said briskly, and he blinked. "Eh?" he asked, and Śāma and her cats merely nodded. "Protect me and I'll grant a request." I added, and he waved a hand dismissively. "How insulting! Earl or not, do you think I'm the type of woman you can just buy with money?" he asked indignantly, and I smirked. "I'll give you Sebastian for a day, you can do whatever you want with him." I said smugly, and he put a finger to his cheeks. "Sebastian and whatever I want to do…_even kissing_?!" he asked excitedly, and I sighed. "If that's what you want."

"Ooh! Does that mean I can use tongue!" he squealed, and I bit the inside of my cheek, silently apologizing. "Do anything you please with him." I said wearily, and he swooned. "Oh my, yes! That's an offer I couldn't possibly refuse! I'm _deadly_ serious!" he said, striking that same pose with his hand and his mouth. "If you're done bribing the idiot, can we go in then?" Śāma asked impatiently, and the cats shifted again. Grell ran up to the doors as we followed, slamming them open. "Alright here we go!" he shouted gleefully, and we all blinked. A blonde girl was standing on a pedestal, and I ran up to her. "Careful Phantomhive…there's bad magic here." Śāma said warily, but I barely heard her. "Oh look, that ring's a lot like yours isn't it!" Grell said, and I looked down to see a blue-gemmed gold ring on the girl's thumb. _A Hope Diamond?_ Śāma bent down, easing it off the girl's finger and quickly backing away, placing it in a pouch I saw hanging from her neck as the cheetah and tiger growled. The panther merely watched, eyes narrowed. _This doll looks like…Impossible!_ I thought, remembering one of the pictures of the kidnapped girls. Her blue eyes lowered, and her hand shot forward, grabbing my neck and beginning to squeeze, hard.

_**Cliffy! It's about time, I've done like three chapters without one! Hehe, how mean am I right now? Bet you'll all love me again when I post soon. Besides, you all know what happens anyway, I'm going by the books here! Well, I gotta go eat dinner and do my math homework and other such things. Leave me some reviews and make me happy for after school! Review, Request, Rcomment, Auf Wedersien!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey Samansa-chan147, flamelalchemist103, Medusa Gorgon, and squishypeanut12. Again, sorry about the accidental uploading of the worn document last chapter, I have not only fixed it but posted the story and will continue daily updates until I run out of the chapters my friend has given me. Drossel is kinda cool, I do enjoy his character for all that he doesn't show up for more than a couple episodes. But he is worth it, for just his general weirdness. Also he has an interesting character design. Early warning, as of right now, I am not planning to go beyond the end of the first season, because I have not watched past it yet. I may or may not. Black Butler Season two isn't giving me any shining references, and all I'm hearing about is this crazy little blonde rich creep who has another demon butler and is really annoying and gets everyone else killed. Make of that what you will. Plus, I never really liked BB all that much, it's not good, it's not bad, the ending sucked but there was plenty of action, the plot was rather vague and pointless but there was so much fun to spice it up, some characters were really good, others annoying beyond belief (Grell comes to mind), it just kinda hit me as an overall…meh. ANYWAY, here's the next chapter.**_

_Dina's POV:  
_ The girl grabbed Ciel by the neck, lifting him up slightly as he began to choke. He grabbed her hand, trying to pry her off, but her grip was like iron. Her sapphire eyes were blank and emotionless, like a doll's. "Help Pluto!" he managed to choke out, but the stupid mutt was in human form, holding another doll and chewing on it. "You stupid useless mongrel!" he growled, and I stepped forward, tail twitching in readiness. Suddenly a gem hit the top of the girls head and she released the noble, letting him collapse onto Subaha as she lunged under him. "Now why would you call the puppy when you should be calling on me?" Grell asked from the chandelier, smirking. "Grell!" His toothy grin widened. "As a Reaper, I have all the tools needed for harvesting a soul! See! My Death Scythe!" he said proudly, pulling out a pair of safety scissors as I rolled my eyes and Śāma folded her arms, giving him a raised eyebrow.

Ciel got up as Subaha helped him off her flank, blinking as he saw the same thing we did. "Uh…but aren't those just scissors?" he asked, nonplussed, and Grell fumed. "What do you want me to do?! Will took away my personally modified Death Scythe! I miss it so much!" he wailed, then grinned. "I'll show you! I'll snip her into bits!" he shouted eagerly, jumping off the chandelier as Ciel held out a hand. "Hold on! Don't hurt her, she isn't actually a doll!" he shouted, but the crazy Reaper didn't hear him. "Welcome to the afterlife!" he shouted, and I saw his scissors cut into her neck deeply as he landed beside the Earl. He ran to her side, kneeling, but pulling back as he saw the sawdust trickling from the wound instead of blood. "Maybe she was a doll after all." He murmured, and lifted her hand experimentally, but dropped it as we heard a voice.

"Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away…" The doors opened, and the man we had seen stepped out, candelabra in hand. "What a useless doll. She was an utter failure." He said to himself, and Ciel stood. "So then I thought to myself, in order to succeed I must make them considerably stronger than this." He added menacingly, and Ciel twitched. The man, Drossel if I remembered correctly from Grell's list, raised his free hand. "Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel, build it up with iron and steel my fair lady…" he sang as four more of the dolls approached out of the darkness, eyes blank and dull. "I've seen them before…" Ciel whispered to himself, and Grell brandished his scissors. "I'm not going to let anyone take away my day with dear sweet Bassy!" he squealed, charging at the dolls as Ciel started. "Hold on Grell, WAIT!" he shouted, and Grell ignored him. "Take this dolls!"

A grinding clang was heard as the doll in the red dress crossed her arms, taking the blow and pushing Grell onto his rear with very little effort. "I…I couldn't cut them!" he stammered, and the dolls approached as I saw the gleam of steel where the red-dressed doll's "skin" had been cut open. "Grell, this is an order! You and Pluto stay here and keep the dolls occupied, play with them, for as long as it takes." Ciel ordered softly, and the red-dressed doll lunged as Grell scampered backwards. We shrank to house cats to better avoid the coming fray. "You're going to leave me here? Not very human of you!" he pleaded, and Ciel continued on without pause, tossing over his shoulder indignantly "_I'm_ the inhuman one?"

We silently followed, and Rāta and Śāma switched to human forms as myself and Subaha stayed cat, the smaller forms so we could better keep up. We followed the Earl until we came to a large, more brightly lit room, and paused as we heard the voice again. "Ciel Phantomhive. And the _Cītās."_ We all looked up, seeing Drossel sitting on the ledge. "You are indeed beautiful specimens. I'll have to make you into dolls worthy of such exquisite beauty." Ciel straightened. "What have you done with Elizabeth!" Drossel did not answer, still caught up with his previous theory. "Now what material shall I use for you?" he mused, tilting his hat –and head– as he contemplated us. "Clay will wash away too easily, but iron is far too crude for you. So then, I thought to myself…" Ciel gritted his teeth and ran past him as we followed silently. "Build it up with silver and gold silver and gold, silver and gold, build it up with silver and gold, my fair lady…"

As the door was pushed aside, we came into a room full of masks as the Earl stopped, confused. They began to sing as well, the noise building into a crescendo of sound. "BUILD IT UP WITH SILVER AND GOLD, SIVLER AND GOLD, SILVER AND GOLD, BUILD IT UP WITH SILVER AND GOLD, MY FAIR LADY, BUILD IT UP WITH SILVER AND GOLD, SILVER AND GOLD..." Ciel clutched at his ear, running faster as the human-shaped winced and did the same, but myself and Subaha had paws instead of hands and four legs instead of arms, so we merely had to take it and run with the others best we could. "BUILD IT UP WITH SILVER AND GOLD, BUILD IT UP WITH SILVER AND GOLD, MY FAIR LADY…" we finally made it out of the room as we climbed even more stairs, panting a little. We all finally reached the top and Ciel slammed the door shut just behind us, leaning against it and panting as I shook my head to clear the ringing out.

He suddenly started, staring at the symbol inlaid on the room's floor as we looked up at him curiously. He suddenly swung his head up, eyes burning with a holy purpose. "Truly master, nothing good ever happens on your birthday, does it?" Sebastian's voice asked as the curtains billowed. "You lost your parents, your home, and this time, you stand to lose Lady Elizabeth." He continued as the wafting drape calmed, showing him sitting in the windowsill calmly. "Sebastian!" Ciel yelped, and we exchanged in bemused glances. _'There's something we'll want to research later…'_ I mused, and the others nodded. "Take that back. Right now." Ciel snarled, breaking us out of our train of thought. "What do you mean?" Sebastian asked innocently, and Ciel gritted his teeth. "I don't like you taunting me!" he snapped, and Sebastian smirked, closing his eyes. "Master, earlier you informed me you had some business to take care of. This business of yours…did it include endangering yourself? In a misguided effort to re-write the past I mean." He said musingly, opening them as Ciel clenched his fist.

"Do you remember what you said at the Frost Fair? About changing your body? About your ring? What you said, was that both had been shattered and reborn, and that you no longer had any fear of being broken yourself." Ciel growled. "I remember. You don't need to remind me." He snapped, and Sebastian smirked. "Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel; build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady…" Ciel scampered away from the doors as we spun and took on battle-ready forms, Rāta and Śāma drawing knives as their tails switched impatiently. The dolls, including the ones that Grell had been fighting, burst the doors, walking in slowly as the song continued. "This means they defeated Grell!" Ceil gulped, and Sebastian moved to stand beside us. "Interesting. They appear to be controlled through the singing of that song. In which case…" he interlocked his hands, taking a ready pose.

"Iron and steel will bend and bow, bend and bow, bend and bow, iron and steel will bend and bow…" he sang as the dolls stopped and their heads tilted to the rhythm. "My fair lady." He finished, grabbing one's, the first doll's, head and bending it with a creak of steel. "Iron and steel will bend and bow, bend and bow, bend and bow, iron and steel will bend and bow, my fair lady." He sang as the other dolls gradually copied the motion, head snapping to the side as he bowed to Ciel, finishing his chant. "Who are you calling a lady!" he snapped, and we all snickered. "Now my young master, let us go…" A voice interrupted us. "I think not. Ciel Phantomhive, _Cītās, _you are now the property of my master."

"Property! Who do you think you-" Ciel began, but Drossel interrupted him once more. "The proof is there. You're marked by the very ring you're wearing, I know what it is. That is a Hope Piece, the same gem that my master sends as a token to those who are destined to become his dolls. The _Cītās _have meddled with the Hope Piece far too much already; they must stop before they shatter it beyond repair." We all growled, even those human-shaped, and the sound echoed around the vaulted room. "What master?" Sebastian asked, narrowing his eyes. "It's been decided, Ciel Phantomhive is going to become a doll, an exquisite doll made up of silver and gold. And you Cītās are sadly going to have a far less kind fate. My master is not pleased with you." He said sadly, and we all snarled again, claws sliding out of our paws asRāta and Śāma took ready stances, brandishing their knives.

_**I was going to make it not a cliffhanger, but I got bored and decided I was going to have some fun tormenting you again. Hehe. *grin* Anyway, I really don't have anything to say to you people, the SE thing shall probably be finished in a matter of weeks, and then I will focus all (most) of my writing energy on this, because I also have at least four different May and Jays in the works, as well as a couple plotbunnies. I'm a busy person. Review Request Rcomment Auf Wedersien!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Really super-duper sorry! I was writing for other stuff and kinda forgot all about this fanfic…plus I could never find my IPod when I needed to start writing…so yeah…sorry…heck, I have no excuses. Anyway, here's the next chapter for you peoples.**_

_Rāta's POV:_

The black-haired demon smirked as I shifted my stance slightly, Dina and Subaha hackling slightly as their lips drew back to reveal sharp fangs. "Silver and gold will be stolen away, stolen away, stolen away, silver and gold shall be stolen away-" He knelt, picking up the Phantomhive and leaping away as Drossel reached out for him with a gasp, flying out the window as we followed, sleek shapes bounding from the shingles and the terraces to land on the ground. We padded silently across the ground, running to the bridge where the demon set the lord down gently, coming to a silent stop as he turned to face the cats and humans padding up. He dismissed us almost instantly, looking back down at Ciel. "There we are, you're safe-" He was cut off by a sharp slap to the cheek, and we all raised our eyebrows. "What about Lizzie?! She's still in there!" Ciel snarled, and we all nodded. Subaha made a deep-throated sound, and I translated. "Sister Bāgha agrees with Lord Phantomhive. We go back and get the girl." I said softly, and he nodded in satisfaction before turning back to his servant. "Did I order you to solve the recent string of kidnappings or didn't I?! Lizzie is one of the kidnapped victims; saving her is the first priority-"

"If the order negates the contract, I cannot obey it." Ciel blinked as the butler said the words, and the demon continued. "Your first priority is always orders from the Queen. Similarly, my first priority is your life. I've devoted myself to your service and protection. It's been more than two years now." He blinked once, and when he opened his eyes they had deep red fires within them, cat-slitted. "I can't very well let someone steal you away after all this time now can I?" he finished, and we stepped forward. Śāma handed me the blue ring and I put it on, making sure to catch the demon's eye with it. "What?" he muttered, and I grinned mirthlessly. "The Hope Piece is what marks the "master's" next target. I have one; your precious Lord has another. We've been marked. Protecting him will be a difficult task." I said softly, my lips stretching in a grin. "I'm not afraid of hard work." He said with a bow towards the human, and we all stiffened as we heard a howl. _'Not that mangy demon hound again…'_ Śāma said through our mind connection, and I nodded sourly. "Pluto?" Ciel said in surprise, and the demon turned.

"I searched the mansion top to bottom. I wasn't able to find any sign of Lady Elizabeth. That leaves one place. She must be in that sealed-up tower." he said as our slitted gazes traveled slowly up to the spike of rock and stone, and Dina laughed softly. _'This should be fun. Just like the Middle Ages, hai?'_ I grinned and nodded as Śāma made shushing motions at the pair of us. We strode through the forest silently as the demon and his human followed, and I came out, seeing that idiot Grell holding the damned barking mutt by his leash. "Hey now calm down! What's wrong with you puppy!?" he snarled as the dog continued to bark and lunge. "That's a surprise…you're still alive?" Ciel said in a mutter, raising his voice to pose the question as the scarlet-obsessed reaper turned. "OH BASSY!" he squealed, leaping for the impassive demon as he was shoved down by Pluto, the eager dog ploughing the reaper's face into the ground as he leaped from the other male's back to hug Sebastian, panting happily. "Uh! How rude!" Grell snarled as he got up, a tick mark appearing on his face.

"Wait a second! A demon hound? _Really_?" he said in surprise as Ciel sweatdropped. "You're _just_ now noticing that?" he grumbled, and Grell squealed again, hugging himself. "OOHLALA! A night with a demon hound how sexy!" he screamed, blood gushing from his nose as Sebastian barely kept his cool. "You really have no standards." He muttered as Pluto chewed on his shoulder, turning to him. "Now, I've been waiting for you Pluto." The demon hound made a sound of inquiry, popping his mouth away from the demon's coat as he started walking across the bridge. "That door has been sealed by unnatural power. Only a Demon Hound can open it." he said, stopping as Pluto fell from his shoulder, clutching at his collar. "Look his collar's shining." Ceil muttered, and Grell blinked. "And so's the door!" Pluto writhed a little more on the ground, and then he transformed and howled. "He's so big!" Grell squealed, clasping his hands as we all rolled our eyes. The doors glowed and banged open, and the gigantic silver hound raced through them with another howl. "He's run off again!" Ciel said, running to Sebastian's side as he put a finger to his chin. "No need to worry, we'll follow him in. He should prove to be a serviceable guide." He said calmly, and we nodded.

_***Time Skip***_

_ 'Anyone who…who starts singing the Monkey…the Monkey and the Weasel song is so…is so dead.'_ I panted as the others found breath to snicker, bounding up the steps with the males as my ribs burned and ached. I could handle lots n' lots of strenuous physical activity, but this much going in circles was driving me batty. _Finally_, we stopped, and I took the opportunity to regain my air and sanity as the others stared at a plain wooden door. Sebastian stepped forward, and after a nod of approval from his master swung it open as we all briefly took house cat form, squeezing between his legs and them resuming human and battle-ready forms as the males crowded in behind us. The same synthetic, fake, plastic, unnatural scent from Drossel's toy shop was here, and it was far stronger. "He made them here. All of them." I said softly, and the others nodded, the cat-shaped pawing at their noses in annoyance at the stench. "Lizzie!" Ciel said suddenly, spotting the doll in the corner and running to her as we tensed. "Lizzie?" he asked as he came level with her. No response. "Lizzie!" he snapped, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her gently. No response. "Oh my, it looks like we're too late." Grell said crushingly as he flicked his hair out of his face, and Ciel gritted his teeth.

"Wake up…Lizzie! Lizzie wake up! Lizzie!" Ciel shouted, shaking her a little more roughly in his panic. Her emerald eyes slowly opened, and he stopped. "Wh...where?" she mumbled and he heaved in a deep breath, clasping in hands over his heart. "Lizzie…you're okay." He breathed, and her gaze flicked towards his hand. "That's the ring." He blinked in shock, looking down. "So did you like it? That makes me happy. So happy…" she said softly, and he gasped, looking hurt. "That was her gift for you. The one you didn't open." Sebastian commented softly as Grell yawned, then winced as I elbowed him in the gut. "How foolish…she didn't have to…" Ciel whispered, and I caught the familiar glint of wires as Lizzie's hand lifted. "Then why did she?" Drossel asked softly from above us, and we all looked up as Lizzie was jerked upright, hanging in the air as she stared helplessly at Ciel. "Why is her body moving without her control? Why…" he continued on, and a battleaxe came whirling out of the air as she caught it. "Why is she going to hurt the one person she loves most in her world?"

"What's happening to her?!" Ciel shouted, and she flew up, drawing the weapon back with a cry of "NOOOO!" as she brought it down on his head. Sebastian was there and gone in a flash, carrying his master with him as the blade came down on lifeless wood. "NO!" She swung again. "NO!" she sobbed as she continued to swing the heavy blade. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Sebastian held his master tight as he avoided blow after blow. "Look sharp Grell! Can't you see what's happening?" he asked impatiently as the reaper trimmed his nails with his puny Death Scythe. "I suppose so. But I would hate to chip one of my blades so-" The demon barely caught the handle of the ax blade before it could cleave his young master stem to stern. "Please do help us out Grell." He said with a closed-eye smile, and the reaper beamed. "Oh Bassy! How could I deny you?! Well then, when we kiss, can there be just a little bit of tongue?" he said slyly, and Sebastian simply looked at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I can in fact tie cherry stems in a knot using my tongue." He said coolly, looking away as Grell did his little happy squeal again.

He zoomed towards Lizzie, scissors gleaming. "I cannot allow a little girl like you to wield a better blade than I do. _Unforgivable_." he said with a grin, and Ciel started, reaching for him. "No Grell stop!" Heedless, the scissors flashed in an X, and Lizzie fell limply to the ground as the ax clattered out of her numb hands. "Is she alright? What happened?!" Ciel said as he ran to her side, and Sebastian reached out, fingering one of the wires. "A puppet string." He said softly, and Grell preened a little as he stared at his scissors. "Only a Death Scythe could've cut it with such ease. Well Sebastian? Aren't I amazing? Tell me how good I am!" he squealed as the demon stood up. "Well done. Perhaps you should run with scissors more often." He said impassively, and Grell grinned, waving the "Death Scythes". "Oh! I am just flattered to death!" Sebastian looked up, ignoring him. "Now let's see, where does the string lead to…" he muttered, and we all looked up to find Drossel tapping his chin in the rafters. "So then I began thinking to myself…" he made a gesture and we all were suddenly wrapped in the string, and I kicked and struggled as the others hissed and spat. "I have two new dolls at my disposal, what material shall I use this time?" he mused to himself, and Sebastian looked up.

"Indeed. And of what materials are you made?" he asked neutrally, and Drossel blinked. "Me? Huh…I don't know. What am I made out of?" he murmured to himself, and the demon smirked slightly. "Well, I'm not sure. But whatever materials were used don't seem to be of the highest quality." He said crushingly, and Drossel stared into space. "Oh my…so then I thought to myself I have always believed that I was human. But…lately…I often find termites crawling out of my ears, isn't that strange?" I quickly shifted to cat form and then human as the wires around my loosened, the others doing the same as Sebastian booted the ax up from the ground, then kicked it high into the rafters with a snarl. It impacted the doll maker as the wires around the others gave way, and Sebastian caught the ax as it dropped back to the ground. "Now Grell." He said, and Grell beamed. "Oh Bassy! We'll work together as one! United by lo-" Sebastian used his face as a springboard, leaping into the rafters as I skittered up the walls, landing lightly across from Drossel as the demon came beside me. "You are utterly lacking in style. You're no butler!" he snarled as the ax came down, and I tackled Drossel off the rafters, watching as the doll landed on Grell, dropping silently beside them as my companions gave me an approving nod.

"I'd never lose to someone so hopelessly inferior." He said with a tiny smirk as Grell hobbled on his knees towards the demon. "Oh! That's my Bassy, so stylish!" he squealed as we rolled our eyes and the Phantomhive sweatdropped. We looked down at Drossel, stuffing poking out of the gnash in his crown. "So he was a doll too." Ciel said softly, and Grell stood. "His name was Drossel Keinz. His soul was collected five years ago but we still detected signs of his existence." He said in a rare moment of seriousness, and Sebastian frowned in thought. "He must have been fitted with a transient soul by somebody. His master maybe?" he said, and we shrugged. "Ciel?" He jumped and looked down as Lizzie whispered his name, and Subaha purred encouragingly from her elbow. "You're awake? Let's get you home…" he said, picking her up a little as the tabby cat left her body and transformed back into a tiger, tail switching urgently. "I want to give you…a real birthday party…can I?" she asked weakly, and his eyes widened. He took a deep breath, looking back down at her. "Okay. We'll have a party." He said softly, and she smiled, her eyes closing. "You can rest easy now Lizzie. It's all over." He added, and my sharp ears caught a whisper of sound. "It appears that it's not." Sebastian said as Drossel rose awkwardly.

"S-so then I t-thought…to myself…" I he mumbled, straightening with his eyes dull and vacant. "I still have a task…I must report…to my…master…" he slurred, stumbling past us as stuffing dropped to the ground from his "wound." Grell snorted, putting his hands on his hips. "What's wrong with this loon!? He's all torn up and he _still_ wants to serve his master?" he spluttered, and Sebastian followed the stumbling doll with his head. "Perhaps I judged him too hastily. He may be…one hell of a butler." He said softly, and we walked forward silently as Drossel pushed open some large purple doors. "Master…it's me-" He suddenly fell forward, his head thunking against the soft carpet as I spotted his eyes, dull and white and utterly blank. The males ran in, and we spotted that mangy mutt Pluto curled up by the chair in the center of the room, tail stirring the air lazily. "Why is _he_ here?" Ciel muttered, and the dog raised its head. It then closed its eyes and licked the hand of the person in the chair, and Ciel frowned. "And why…is he so _friendly_?"

"I'm _terribly_ sorry. My butler's incompetence prevents me from offering you hospitality." A soft male voice said from the chair, and Ciel took a step forward. "You're the one behind this? Why would you want to turn little girls into dolls?" he asked, and the voce continued. "Perfection is so difficult to attain, and when it is achieved it is fleeting. Doll making is noble work, it preserves that which is most beautiful in this world. A doll is a perfect little person, forever frozen in time." Grell spoke up. "I have to disagree, those little brats of yours were anything but _lovely-_" It seemed it was a day for never finishing a sentence. Ciel cut him off this time. "Why are you after me? You won't win. I am no one's doll, and I will never be a part of a collection." He said fiercely, and I softly tossed the blue gemstone from my finger. "Here's your ring, old man." I said with a wicked grin, and my friends snickered. "You ought to learn your places." The man said menacingly, and I frowned. "What?!" Ciel said incredulously, and he continued. "My butler's head was filled with straw, with such limited intellect, I don't imagine he could understand why I wanted you."

"Ciel Phantomhive. The matter of your death has been fated since the day of your birth. That body you wear, _is unclean_." Ciel's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth. "But how? How could you know about that?" he snarled, but the man ignored him. "I cannot allow someone like you to live in this world, your existence is a desecration, unclean, unnecessary, _unwanted_. That is why I intend to erase you." Ciel walked forward, and I matched his steps, scooping up the ring once more. "Snuff him out…he is unclean… unnecessary…unwanted! End him! End him! End him!" he snarled as the chair shook violently, and Ciel growled. "Stop talking!" He ran towards the chair as I leaped over it, and we stared as my cat companions surged around my legs.

It was merely a scarecrow in the chair. "it's a puppet…" Sebastian whispered as he came even, and we looked down to see a tiny doll in his lap. It moved, and Grell jumped behind Sebastian with a squeal. It stood, hanging limply in the air like the doll it was, and hissed at us. It jumped out of the chair and scampered away, laughing. "Sebastian, go catch that thing!" Ciel snapped, but the demon shook his head. "The person pulling the strings is elsewhere my lord. It wouldn't do us any good to give chase." He said calmly, and I shook my head. "That's what you think! Meet you back at the shop guys I'm moving out!" I snarled, shifting to the shape of a small black cat and streaking away.

_***Time Skip***_

"Snuff him out! He is unclean!" I growled under my breath, panting slightly as I scampered after the doll, my pawsteps light and silent as I kept in the shadows. "Unnecessary! Unwanted! Snuff him out he is unclean!" I rolled my eyes, coming to a halt as I saw a figure reach for the doll. _Damn this tiny thing, nothing but "unclean-snuff-him-out" blather from the tower to the Thames. Nasty thing._ "Unnecessary! Unwanted! End the unclean! End the unnecessary! End the unwanted!" it shrilled as it was picked up in a gloved hand, twisting a little in the person's grip. "Snuff out the unclean!" A woman's voice joined it, and I carefully categorized her. White hair, purple eyes, maid clothing. Not human either. "Snuff out the unnecessary. Snuff out the unwanted." She squeezed, and the doll broke in half. "Snuff out the unclean." She tossed the broken doll over the edge of the bridge with a soft smirk, starting to walk away. "_End him._"

_**There, I made it extra longer for all you nice people. Again, very super sorry about my long absence, I just couldn't get around to this. *shame cloud* Well…uh…I ain't got anything else that's new. Review Request Rcomment Auf Wedersien.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Greetings, all you Black Butler peoples. I am pleased to announce that this fanfic now has my mostly undivided attention, so you should be getting the weekly updates now instead of my bad sporadic ones. *shame cloud* Anywhich and how, it's almost October **__**31**__**st**__**, and guess what that means?! Yes, you're right! HELLSING ABRIDGED EPISODE 4! I'm so happy! *twirls in a mad circle cackling* Well, Halloween too, but Hellsing Abridged people, Hellsing Abridged. *nods sagely* I just can't wait! This is going to be so epic! For those of you who have no idea what Hellsing Abridged is, it is a fan based parody of Hellsing Ultimate/OVA, which is freaking awesome. The creator releases each episode once per year, on Halloween, but so far there's only three episodes. It is a very good parody, but I digress. Back to BB, next chapter, yada yada.**_

_***A bindi is a (typically red) marking some Asian cultures use for decoration or symbolic purpose, usually on women. Agni has it for decoration, if you're wondering. (it said so on his wiki page)**_

_Rāta's POV:_

Snow fell softly around me, the clocktower in the distance chiming the hour. I blinked, seeing a young man and his servant walk through the crowd. "This is gorgeous. It is so cold." The young man muttered, a snowflake landing in his palm. "Agni, what is this?" he asked his vassal, a man with white hair, a turban, a red _bindi_, and a green coat. "The substance is called snow my prince, it falls during the winter in England." He explained, and his employer pursed his lips. "How odd. So this is England?" he muttered, putting his hands on his hips to glance around. "It is beautiful." He admitted again, and I silently jumped down from the roof, walking up beside them and stopping in front of the man as he paused and looked down at me. "Eh? Who are you?" he asked, and I smiled icily. "Rāta Baghīrā. I believe you are looking for someone?"

_Ciel's POV:_

"_This fellow is the child of craziness and laziness, England is the blasphemous country that has taken all and forced on us in arrogant ways its rotten culture, retribution should befall the fools of the country that the hellcats rule!_ This makes twenty victims so far! AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T CAUGHT THIS CRIMINAL?! Explain!" Sir Randal snarled, yanking the piece of paper from the victim and glaring at Aberline viciously. "I haven't and I'm sorry Sir Arthur!" he wailed snapping to attention as Randal returned his glare to the paper. "When Jack the Ripper slipped through our hands, that brat got all the credit." He grumbled, and I smirked. "Brat sir? Who do you mean? You're speaking of Ciel Phantomhive?" Aberline asked innocently, and Randal gave him a look. "You know, I can't help but feel he's carrying some immense burden on his shoulders. And he's still only a child…" Aberline muttered, and his superior snorted. "Hmph! Child…"

"So all the victims had just returned home from India then?" I asked, leaning over Aberline's elbow to peer at the sheets of paper as he jumped."O-oh, you're here!" he squeaked, and I shrugged. "But the culprit hasn't killed anyone yet?" I asked bluntly, walking up to Randal and taking the sheet from him. "_The child of craziness and laziness_…this man does have a way with words doesn't he? I agree our country would benefit if all these _nouveaux riche_ (newly rich) fresh from India disappeared." I lowered the paper, staring at the pictogram on the bottom of the page. "Still…I don't like this mark." Randal snatched the paper from me angrily. "With this he's mocking the Queen and all Englishmen too! He's Indian, I'm certain of it!" he growled, and I nodded absently. "Ah, I imagine that would be the reason I was called in. Most of the Indians who've come here illegally are staying in the criminal neighborhoods of the East End. And Scotland Yard still doesn't know their exact number or precise location, does it?" I asked him, and he narrowed his eyes with a grumble, looking away.

"I cannot allow Her Majesty to continue suffering such indignation. Sebastian, let's go." I said calmly, starting to walk away as my butler followed silently in my wake. After a few hours of walking, he led me to a dingy neighborhood not far from the Thames. "I believe this area is where the bulk of the Indians have settled." He said calmly, following behind me as I turned to glance at him. "Yes-" I started to say, but suddenly I ran into an Indian man, who grunted and stepped back. "That hurt! Agh, you fiend, I've cracked a rib! I might die from this!" he whimpered, and his friends surrounded him.

"Hey, what happened?"

"What a terrible injury! He should pay you back for it!"

"Yes, give us all your money brat." The original man grunted, clutching his heart and glaring at me as Sebastian turned slightly. "What a cliché bunch of thugs we seem to have run into. Master, shall I handle this?" he asked, cracking his knuckles. "Yes, but make it quick." I sighed, and he smirked, grabbing his glove. "Certainly." Suddenly the man lunged forward and grabbed my collar, lifting me off the ground. "Listen boy, you are outnumbered, everybody within a mile of here hates you English dogs-" he started to snarl; drawing a knife, but Sebastian casually reached out and flicked his forehead, sending him flying. "Did he hurt you at all young master?" he asked, and I tugged my hat down again. "No. He did not." I said softly as the man stood again, glaring at us. "Damned brat, you take over our country, drag us here, and then throw us away like garbage!" he snarled, and his friend nodded. "Your people have dragged your filth all over our homeland!"

"How about we show you the humiliation of being robbed eh?!" the first man snarled, raising his knife and clearly about to attack as a voice interrupted. "Excuse me! I am looking for this Indian woman. Perhaps you gentlemen have seen her around here?" a man with purple-dyed hair asked, stepping out from an alleyway as my eyes widened, seeing the blonde woman from the Frost Fair walking behind him, along with a white-haired servant. He held up a crudely and badly done drawing of a woman, and I could only tell it was a woman because he had said so. "Who the hell are you? Just stay out of this!" the knife-wielder snarled, turning to face him. "Oh my, are you fellows having a duel?" he asked excitedly, stepping forward and then cocking his head. "He has a _khan-saman_ (butler) with him. Are you a English nobleman?" he asked me, and I narrowed my eyes. "What if I say I am?" I growled, and he stopped. "Then I will have no choice, I must side with my countrymen." He said calmly, and then looked to his side. "Come Agni." The man bowed. "Yes sir."

"Defeat the Englishman." He said briskly and Agni stepped forward, mumbling something in Urdu. "I shall use my holy weapon, which I was given that I might serve my master." He lunged forward, and Sebastian instantly scooped me up and dodged, catching the blow with the side of his arm as I tumbled to the ground, held up by Sebastian's hand as he knelt and held me to his chest again, running backwards and bent almost in half as Agni's boot lashed within inches of his nose. He continued to block the darting, jabbing attacks with one arm as I was unceremoniously clutched to his side with the other, hacking a little at his supernaturally strong grip. Agni suddenly jumped back, holding his body in a ready pose. "I have repeatedly struck many of your vital pressure points. Any _normal_ person's arms would've gone numb by now. How are you moving?" he muttered, and Sebastian landed neatly with me still in his vise-grip.

"We weren't doing anything but walking down the street! Are you nothing more than a reckless savage who'll attack anyone who merely walks by you?!" I snarled as soon as I had breath, and the man's eyes widened as the blonde raised an eyebrow. "What? Tell me men, did you attack this child here for no good reason?" he asked sharply, looking around him, and they started guiltily. He folded his arms with a frown. "Unfortunately, my countrymen are wrong here. Agni, we are on the Englishman's side now." He said firmly, glancing to his vassal, and the man nodded. "Right." Within seconds all the men were on the ground as I merely stared, and the man walked forward and picked up my hat. "It is done Prince Soma." he servant said softly as he brushed it off, and he nodded. "Well, there is someone I need to find, so I will be going now. Goodbye." He said absently, tossing my hat to me and starting to walk away with his entourage. "These English streets are like a labyrinth…" he muttered, and the blonde by his side nodded and peered around. "Next left…" she told the men, pointing the direction as they all headed towards another busy street.

_**Well, that's all from me right now. *sigh* I've been dealing with some sort of bug the past few days, I'm feverish and my throat really hurts, not to mention I'm absolutely exhausted. And my neck hurts…and I can't focus…and I'm suffering from a strange urge to repeatedly watch "Circle You Circle You" (the English dub)…I'm just really out of it, aren't I? But fear not, I am perfectly alright! I even went to school today! *proud grin* Interesting conversation me n' "May" had the other day, I was showing her the first couple episodes of BB so we could do a May and Jay of it, and we had the strangest arguments…for one thing, she constantly confused Sebastian with Ciel, and she thought Ciel was a girl. No lie. She said he sounded like a girl and looked like a girl, to which I had no comment. (except for "Nu-uh!") Although I did show her Undertaker, and we like him. He's funny, and he's voiced (in the English dub at least) by the same voice actor as Lord Death (Soul Eater) It was kinda funny, 'cause when he's like opening the coffin and saying "Welcome my lord…" I was thinking to myself "Hey, he sounds really familiar, but from what…" And then he yanks it off and says "Do I finally have the pleasure of fitting you for one of me coffins today!" I'm just like. O.O "No…it can't be him…but it is! BTFU, LORD DEATH!(By all That's Freakish and Unholy)" Yeah…and for those who saw FullMetal Alchemist, like two thirds of the characters are voiced by the people from Soul Eater! (At least in the English dub) ANNNYYYWAYY, Review, Request, Rcomment Auf Wedersien!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry about the late update, I had a SE wave of inspiration and it had to be written on. It was a pro quo. It had to be done. *solemn look* Bah, whatever. *loses the look and grins* I shall now be writing time stamps on my chapters, just to keep track of things. You can ignore them or whatever, doesn't matter to me. *shrug* On we go…**_

_**November 5, 2013**_

_Rāta's POV:_

I tucked my tail between my legs, hiding it under my loose skirt as Agni and Soma walked up the gravel driveway, my ears hidden by my hooded cloak as my feline companions wound about my ankles and purred, Dina having turned just a few hours ago and Śāma proffering to stay in cat form, for the moment at least. The Chinese man, Lau opened the door, and I grinned in anticipation. "Ah, my lord, how good it is to see you." He said cordially, and I could hear Ciel stiffen. "What is he doing here…How many times have I told you to send a note first?" he snapped, and Lau stepped in with a chuckle as Agni and Soma crowded up in front of me. "Well I haven't kept a tally." I heard Sebastian turn. "Shall I bring some refreshment for our guest? Perhaps some tea my lord?" he asked, and Ciel sighed nosily. "Oh dear…you might as well…" he grumbled and Lau beamed. "Perhaps some Thai rather than Earl Grey?" he asked eagerly, and Ciel sighed again. "Fine, whatever." He suddenly jumped, seeing Soma and Agni in the doorway with the cats spilling over their feet, me shrouded in the darkness behind. "What…how…" he stammered, and Lau smirked and shrugged at us. "Oh them, I ran into them on the street corner, they said they said they wanted to speak with you."

"SO YOU JUST COME BARGING IN HERE?!" Ciel raged, and Agni closed the door with a nod to me as Soma approached the young lord. "Why certainly. We are acquaintances now; surely you have not forgotten me." Soma said in a friendly manner, and Ciel scowled. "We met during a street brawl." He muttered, and Soma breezed by him with Agni in tow. "And if you recall, I saved you." He said lazily, and Ciel gaped. "SAVED ME?! EXCUSE YOU!" he barked, and Soma ignored him. "Back home if someone does you a favor you offer them hospitality. Is it the British practice to leave your savior out in the cold?" he asked breezily as he ascended the stair, and we remained behind as the Earl fumed. "And you didn't meet _us_ during a street brawl; you met us on your birthday. Even earlier than that, if you count Sister Cītā." I said with a chuckle, and we loped up to follow Soma as Ciel seemed to recover behind us and storm the door open.

"And just who the hell do you think you are?!" he roared, and Soma smirked at him from his position on the bed. "Who am I? Why I am a Prince." The servants crowded in the doorway as we draped ourselves across the chairs. "A prince?" Sebastian said neutrally as Agni took up a spot behind his master. "This is the son of the king of Bengal. Would you please extend your warmest welcome to my master, Prince SomaAsman Kadar." he said, and Soma smirked. "Thank you for your hospitality, kid." He said condescendingly, and the servants ohhhed.

"A real prince in our own home! Amazing!"

"Ooh, how exciting!"

"What an opportunity, I've never seen a prince up close before!"

"So who are your entourage?" Sebastian asked, and both Agni and Soma glanced towards us. "Oh them? They are followers of _Neela Almaas_; we met them on the street." I smirked icily and bowed as Śāma quickly transformed. "Sister Baghīrā, may you walk in darkness." I said softly with our usual bow, and she nodded, slipping her hood off to curtsey. "Sister Tēndu'ā, may you walk in evening." She murmured, and the servants oohed some more. Dina and Subaha yawned on the floor, and I frowned. "Sisters Cītā and Bāgha greet you as well, but sadly cannot walk in this light." I added with a sigh, and the servants knelt to pet both our comrades as they purred and rolled over. "So you can only take on human form at certain times of day? Unusual…" the demon muttered, and I gave him a tiny shrug as Soma beamed to himself. "It is a strange thing though, to be talking to one and suddenly have to translate it with another!" he said, and the servants turned to him again.

"Ooh, do you think he can tell us more?"

"Yeah, I bet someone from India would have lots of great stories, yes they would!"

"Sounds cool."

Soma nodded to them. "You may approach. I give you permission." He said grandly, and without further ado they were all over him as Lau walked up behind the Phantomhive. "I see you brought your servants into town with you this time." He said meekly, and Ciel glared over his shoulder at him as Sebastian answered. "Yes, we were able to leave the guard dog watching the mansion." We all shuddered, remembering that drooly mutt Pluto. "Ah, it should be alright then." Lau said cheerfully, and Ciel turned his glare to us. "Sebastian, don't let them out of your sight for a moment." He placed a hand over his heart and bowed just a little. "Yes sir."

_Dina's POV:  
_ I sat on the floor as Agni and Soma prayed, hearing Ciel practice his violin behind us. Suddenly it stopped as footsteps approached, and Lau turned. "If I had to guess I'd say they're praying." He said with a shrug, and Ciel raised an eyebrow at me. "So why aren't you doing it?" I gave him a little smirk. "We follow _Neela Almaas_; every breath we take is prayer enough. This is our first…_formal_ meeting, lord Phantomhive. Sister Cītā, may you walk in light." I said with a bow, hands flat on my shoulders before I straightened and watched Agni and Soma some more. "Quite an odd idol they have though, isn't it?" Lau added, and Sebastian came up behind us. "It looks to me like the statue of a woman, who seems to be carrying a severed head. She's wearing a necklace of severed heads as well…and dancing on a man's stomach." His distaste was clear.

"It depicts one of the sacred beings of Hinduism, she is the goddess _Kali_." Agni said, breaking off from his praying for a moment. "A goddess of India?" Ciel muttered, and he nodded. "Kali is the wife of the god Shiva, she is also the goddess of power." He held up a scroll with Kali on it, and someone with a sword. "Here she is again. According to our faith, a demon once foolishly challenged her. Naturally, _she_ was victorious. However, her destructive urges were not quelled. She gave herself to destruction and carnage. But then, in order to protect the earth, her husband Shiva threw himself at his wife's feet." He jabbed a finger at the statue as Ciel made a face. "Treading upon her husband brought Kali back to her senses, and peace was once again restored to the world. The statue shows her story, the goddess Kali walking upon her husband, and in her hand the head of the vile demon that she slew."

Ciel looked over his shoulder at Sebastian. "And there you have it." he told Sebastian, and the butler put a hand to his chin. "I've never heard of a goddess with such power. I shall have to keep that in mind if I ever go back to India." He murmured, and we raised an eyebrow at each other as Soma finished praying and stood. "Alright then, we are done praying now! Let us go out!" Soma said brightly, hooking his arm under Ciel's neck and marching to the door with a flailing Englishman in tow. "I'm too busy to go out I already told you that!" he snapped, and I chuckled merrily as we followed them out.

_***Time Skip***_

"Honestly, when are you going to be done with all this? _Yawn_, what are you even doing anyway? You look like an idiot." Soma commented from the floor, on his stomach and elbows as I sighed, silently praying for patience as Subaha pushed her auburn hair back, her chocolate brown eyes snapping with boredom and annoyance as we exchanged in a longing look outdoors, seeing Śāma and Rāta romp and play with the servants in the yard outside. "Be quiet! You're distracting!" Ciel snapped as he tried to fend off Sebastian's rapier, and Soma rolled his eyes. "Are all the English this short-tempered?" he murmured, and Ciel turned rigidly. "You're never going to shut up are you?! If you need attention so badly, why not give fencing a try!" he growled, tossing his sword to Soma as he caught it and stood. "Ha! And if I win you will go out on the town with me!" he cried out in excitement, and Ciel caught the other sword with a snort. "If you can beat me." Soma whooshed the sword a few times as Agni poured us tea. "Good luck to you my prince." He called out, and we watched as the two lords face off.

"Now, let the fight begin!" Sebastian said dramatically, swinging his hand down as Soma lunged forward, only to _thap_ the bendy metal of the sword against Ciel's riding boot. "Hey what the-" he said indignantly, and Ciel smirked. "A strike like that will accomplish nothing for you." He said smugly, lunging forward expertly to jab at Soma's defense, easily passing through, although he pointedly didn't score a hit. "Wait, this isn't fair! I don't know the rules like you do!" Soma squeaked, and Ciel smirked again. "Hey, a fight is a fight, it's not my fault if you don't know." He said smugly, lunging forward to jab and tap against Soma's defense as he hurriedly skipped backwards. "HIGHNESS LOOK OUT!" Agni hissed as Ciel was about to land a blow on Soma's middle, catching the point of the sword in his tea cup and jabbing his finger in the crook of Ciel's elbow. He gasped and stumbled to his knees, dropping the weapon as Agni blinked. "Sir! I am sorry, I saw the prince losing, my reflexes took over, forgive me." He said frantically, and Soma laughed."You protected your master well Agni, so that is it kid. Agni is my servant, an extension of myself. Which means this fight goes to me." He said smugly, and Ciel sat up indignantly.

"Wait, that's not fair!" he snapped, and Lau picked up the rapier, flexing it a little in his hands. "How interesting. Sebastian, looks as if you'll have to avenge your master. Here you go." He said, flicking the sword to the demon, who caught it easily. "For goodness sake, master why ever did you have to provoke the bratty little prince?" he asked wearily, and Ciel growled wordlessly. "However, as the Phantomhive butler I cannot sit idly by while somebody harms my master. That would be an absolute disgrace to my position. Besides, we're a full ten minutes behind schedule now." He said primly, taking a look at his watch before stepping up to the little knot of people. "The time. _That's_ what you care about…" Ciel grumbled, and Soma flourished his sword. "I am curious. Very well, I will allow you to duel. Fight him, and in the name of Kali, make sure you do not lose." He said solemnly, handing it to Agni, who narrowed his eyes with new purpose. "Sebastian, I order you, SHUT THE BRAT'S MOUTH NOW!" Ciel snapped as he stood, and I yawned. "We'll be judges, since we have no true connections to either of you." I said calmly, and they nodded, facing off.

"BEGIN!"

_**I end there, because I still gotta do my SE for tonight, or at least get it started. I go to bed at nine too…better get moving. Please review, I am losing motivation and while I will still get the story chapters out, they may steadily decrease in quality until it really isn't worth it. Review, Request, Rcomment, Auf Wedersien.**_

_**7.42 PM, USA Central Time**_


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